Hi Caela — I’m so glad you decided to turn to this group for ideas and support! And hopefully you’re already feeling less alone with Mary and Audrey sharing their similar experiences and recommendations.
I have lots of thoughts about what you shared. First of all, it’s SO valuable that you had that experience in Europe of feeling totally passionate and inspired and at-home. That’s exactly what it feels like to be magnetized to something and to feel all of your CDFs at once, and now you without-a-doubt know what a 9/10 feels like (from the Week 4: Action video). The passion you feel for traveling and learning to speak French is the same kind of passion you want to feel for your Firestarter-y vision (maybe not 100% of the time, of course, but definitely sparks of that level of passion).
I also wonder if the visionary Firestarter in you might be putting some extra pressure on you to figure out your entire life plan RIGHT NOW. As in, “What’s the business I’m going to build my career on, or the path I’m going to follow so I can get started ASAP.” Which is a seriously pressure-filled question! Keep in mind that, as a Firestarter, you’ll likely have many ideas/projects that you spearhead over the years, and you might even end up with multiple businesses over the course of your life. Just because Firestarters tend to be a bit more one-track-minded than, say, a Side Hustler doesn’t mean they only want to do one thing with their lives. They’re natural idea generators, so having to commit to one thing forever often feels stifling to their rebellious spirit. So I would suggest that, instead of trying to answer the question, “What am I meant to do with my life?” instead ask yourself, “What do I want to create / what problem do I want to solve / how do I want to make an impact right here, right now, exactly where I am?” Is there something you don’t love about your campus life that you’d like to improve? Do you want to spearhead a group of entrepreneurial-minded people at your school where you can all support each other in coming up with business ideas? Is there a side business you’ve been considering starting, but you’ve held back because you’re not sure if it’s “the one”? I would suggest trying something along those lines to give your Firestarter an outlet to be creative, passionate, and purposeful, even if it’s not the thing you commit to forever. Worst-case scenario: You learn a ton about yourself and have something cool to put on a resume one day. Best-case scenario: Whatever you try leads you into the next thing that you DO want to commit (at least for a while longer).
I would love to hear your thoughts about all of this!
And thanks, Mary and Audrey, for being such great supporters and sounding boards for Caela! This group is so great. 🙂